Spring 2026 Highlights
America Unfinished Penn Live Arts Commission World Premieres
Stepping into 2026, we continued the celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary , America Unfinished, with powerful new works, exceptional artistry, community engagement and more.
EXPLORING AMERICA’S STORY
Our 25/26 season was curated to encourage patrons to consider America’s story: What do our country’s foundational ideals mean today? How have we fulfilled the promises made by our nation’s founders? What do these principles reveal about our evolving democracy?
Ruckus and Davóne Tines, whose performance received a preview in The Philadelphia Tribune, grappled with these questions by tracing the ideal of freedom in America’s revolutionary music from the 18th century to today.
Tyshawn Sorey reinterpreted the 1968 album Members, Don’t Git Weary by jazz pioneer Max Roach, putting our current moment in history in conversation with the rich cultural context that informed the original arrangements. Sorey and his quartet unleashed a transformative performance that critic Nate Chinen said “basically blew [his] mind.”
A week later, Johnny Gandelsman performed selections from This is America, featuring the world premiere of Sorey’s Capriccio for Violin Alone. A Penn Live Arts commission, Sorey’s piece joins the ever-growing collection of works by U.S. composers that examine disconnection.
We also presented Rennie Harris’ world premiere of Losing My Religion, another Penn Live Arts commission that concluded the choreographer’s three-year residency. Harris’ work, which explores disillusionment with our culture, received previews from The Philadelphia Tribune and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Fjord Review praised it as “an unrelenting superhuman display of reality,” and The New York Times’ review hailed the company as one of “the city’s most important dance institutions.”
» Learn more about Rennie Harris’ residency
Martha Graham Dance Company closed out the season in a program celebrating its 100th anniversary. Company classics were paired with new works, including a world premiere choreographed by Tommie-Waheed Evans and co-commissioned by Penn Live Arts and ArtPhilly. The work, in case of fire, speak, responds to Martha Graham’s 1938 masterwork American Document and its prevailing question: “What is American?” The premiere received previews from The Philadelphia Tribune and Broad Street Review, and Evans offered additional insight on our blog.
PRAISE FROM PATRONS & PRESS
Our spring lineup was thoroughly enjoyed by fans and critics alike. Some memorable highlights included:
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Led by Philadelphia native Robert Garland, who was profiled by The Philadelphia Tribune leading up to the company’s performance, Dance Theatre of Harlem is beloved by audiences. One gushed that the performance was “like oxygen to [their] being,” and another begged, “Please let the dancers know we LOVE when the company comes to town.”
We love having them in town, too. So much so that we’ve invited the company to return in May to close out our 26/27 season.
(Fall favorite Choir! Choir! Choir! is also coming back again with a holiday show this December.)
Blind Summit Theatre
The Philadelphia premiere of The Sex Lives of Puppets received praise from Midbrow and thINKingDANCE, with audiences describing it as “outstanding,” “thought-provoking” and “wonderful.”
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle
We brought Montreal-based Compagnie Virginie Brunelle to Philadelphia for the first time with the U.S. premiere of Fables. A disarming work, Fables was celebrated in reviews from Fjord Review and 34th Street Magazine, with audiences sharing, “The artistry was exceptional.”
Naturally 7
In its Penn Live Arts debut, a cappella ensemble Naturally 7 delivered a jaw-dropping performance. One patron exclaimed, “Adding Naturally 7 to your [season] was an exceptional idea. They were absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed them and hope that they come back again, and again, and again.”
DEEPENING COMMUNITY TIES
The second half of our 25/26 season was filled with audience engagement and community connections:
- Audiences across dance, music and theatre enjoyed numerous pre- and post-show talks, an open rehearsal with Rennie Harris Puremovement, and a workshop ahead of Tiburtina Ensemble’s performance
- Company members from four dance ensembles led masterclasses
- The Listening Cabinet installation in our Feintuch Family Lobby drove thoughtful conversations on our season’s theme
- Our 41st annual Philadelphia Children’s Festival included 16 community partners, welcoming thousands of students and families
- Arturo O’Farrill connected with high school and college students for an exclusive workshop through The Heart of Jazz
- A new academic partnership with Integrated Product Design graduate students evaluated accessibility enhancements for the Annenberg Center
Our season concluded with the third year of Toll the Bell, a city-wide sound installation in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, with four participating radio stations, 15 community partners and 51 sound sites. “Providing an opportunity for participants to ring the bell is a somber and moving experience,” one of our partners, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, shared. “It serves as a reminder of lives lost and encourages one to recommit to ending gun violence.”
AND SO MUCH MORE
This spring, we were thrilled to announce a generous naming gift: the Tricia & Jason Pantzer Family Box Office. “The Box Office is where every audience member’s journey begins,” our Executive & Artistic Director Christopher Gruits remarked. “Naming this space in their honor is a fitting tribute to their belief in access and artistic excellence.”
Our venues were quite busy outside of our presenting season, too. Guest events welcomed stars like Spike Lee and Penn Badgley to our stage. We facilitated 35 student productions, and, in an impressive eight-day sprint, our team supported over 20 commencement-season events for the University and beyond.
Thank you to our subscribers, donors and all audiences for an excellent 25/26 season. We’re so glad you joined us for America Unfinished, and we hope you continue to explore these themes this summer throughout our city’s America250 celebrations. We can’t wait to see you again in the fall for our 26/27 season, Belonging.
related events
- Arturo O’Farrill
- Blind Summit Theatre
- Choir! Choir! Choir!
- Compagnie Virginie Brunelle
- Dance Theatre of Harlem
- Johnny Gandelsman
- Martha Graham Dance Company
- Naturally 7
- Rennie Harris Puremovement
- Ruckus with Davóne Tines
- The Listening Cabinet
- Toll the Bell
- Tyshawn Sorey
- Women in Music from the Middle Ages to the Present
